My good friend Trader Joe

My main problem with the US is the lack of nice food stores, no Marks and Spencers like in good old Blighty. Everything seemed to be sold in large supermarkets, like Albertsons, Wal-Mart etc (at least there is Safeway!) Then I discovered a true friend indeed, called Trader Joe’s. This started in groovy California and has now spread to some states, mainly western ones from what I can tell, Washington, Oregon and where we are now, Arizona. In fact when a new one is due to be open, it is of major excitement to the locals. Poor old Texas still doesn’t have one. This store sells good food at reasonable prices, free from additives and the like. Tuscan bread, muffins, English and Irish tea bags, Scottish marmalade made in Dundee, for goodness sake! They have some products that they manufacture and others are imported like Belgian chocolate, none of that Hershey’s rubbish. The staff is really laid back and wear Hawaiian surfer shirts. There is always something free to sample, last time corn chips, dips and jalapeno stuffed olives, always free coffee on tap as well. Last time we went they had Italian wine, red and white at $1.99 a bottle. Needless to say I have bought both and very delicious they are too. I will add a few photos of the great place, some taken are actually of their recyclable paper bags, an art form in themselves, others are of the wonderful products. I can’t say enough about them, well maybe I have, but anyway if you are ever looking for tasty fresh food, free from antibiotics try good old Trader Joe’s, check out www.traderjoes.com